PamperMePuppy.com -Bark Blog

Pup of The Month Contest Winner

2008-10-18T09:24:00.008-04:00

We are proud to present last months Pup of The Month Contest winner submitted by Johnny Pittman. His French Mastiff Napoleon won our hearts. Johnny wins a $25 Gift Certificate and a Free Scrapbook image of his pet.

We know Napoleon would love to nestle in one of our large dog beds available here at Pamper Me Puppy as he appears to be a big fella by the looks of him and naturally his breed, but he's free to choose whatever his big heart desires even if it's a selection from one of our wonderful choice of dog collars.

Here is Johnny's description of Napoleon:

Breed- Dogue De Bourdeaux (French Mastiff)
Napoleon's Age- 1 1/2 years

Napoleon is an innocent soul. He loves to sleep on your bed and sit in your lap. He is very dumpy and slow and loves to give slobbery kisses. His favorite play buddy is Eloise our American Bulldog. He loves to meet new dogs and is quite tolerant towards four kids. We will always love him and keep him in the family, especially because of his cute under bite.

Pet Food Storage: How to Keep Dog Food Fresh Longer

2008-07-01T07:19:00.000-04:00

Pet food containers and the love of dogs go together. If you cannot refuse another doggie in the window that's begging you to take it home, that's another addition to the family - which spells more bucks for dog food, not counting the trips that you'll have to take to the nearest convenience store for another bag of kibbles every time you run on empty, usually at the most inconvenient time.

Well, you can save yourself the gas expense and the trouble by stocking up on non-toxic dog food containers that can keep dog food fresh longer sans the clutter and eye-sore.

>>>Click here for pet food storage containers and other various pet food containers<<<<
to see how treat jars have gone sophisticated technology-wise, and have become pretty little things you won't think twice about leaving on your kitchen shelf.

Imagine this: ceramic containers in French Blue or French Taupe that blends well with your sunny nook of a kitchen, or ceramic stoneware in green, blue, red, and yellow that can perk up your countertop. But these dog treat jars and containers are not topnotch in looks alone. These are dishwasher and microwave safe, as well!

There are also airtight aluminum canisters big enough to contain several pounds of dog or cat food. These airtight containers seal in the freshness of pet food - vitamins and all - LONGER. You are always sure your kennel is getting the freshest of dog food all the time while you save money on bulk purchase of dog food.

>>>>Click here to for more on dog food storage.<<<<

Even If You Can't Take Them Home: Ways to Make a Difference at Your Local Shelter

2008-05-28T21:42:00.003-04:00

For a pet lover whose home is already at maximum capacity, it may be a good idea to stay out of the animal shelter. People who love animals are often saddened to see so many wonderful pets living in conditions like that, and no matter how wonderful your local shelter or rescue is it is not home for these animals.

Luckily, there are some ways that you can make a difference at your local shelter, and help out in the lives of cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and even ferrets in your community. One can only hope that they find their forever home someday soon, but that is not always possible for some pets and that is the reality of the humane societies and shelters of the world. You can make a difference by volunteering of your time and efforts to increase the quality of life for those pets that have yet to find a warm, loving home of their own.

Some pet lovers choose to foster animals in their home. This means providing care, love, food, and shelter to pets that would otherwise be in the shelter—at least until they find more long term homes of their own. The pets live in your home during a foster program, and it is your responsibility to make sure that they get into events and such that could help them get adopted.

If you can't take any more pets into your home, it is possible to volunteer your time at the shelter. They are in need of people all the time to clean kennels, play with kitties, walk dogs, and talk to people at the shelter about their options. Talk to your local facility and see how you can get involved in either or both of those ways.

Pet Adoption: Getting the Okay from Your Landlord Isn't Always Easy

2008-01-18T00:18:00.001-05:00

So you have decided that you want to take the leap and adopt a pet, but your landlord is insistent on their no-pet policy. That can be a huge bummer, and it only leaves a person with three options: move to a new residence with a less strict pet policy, convince your landlord to let you have a pet, or abandon the idea of having a pet altogether. The latter of the three options is obviously the least desirable. Once you get it in your head that you are about to be a 'mom' or a 'dad' to a dog or cat, it can be difficult to give up on that idea. Moving is an option, but not a very logical one, so that leaves you with one option: try to convince your landlord to give up his pet-hating ways.

Okay, so your dog probably doesn't hate pets but doesn't it feel that way sometimes? When it comes to dogs, their policy usually has to do with liability purposes and when it comes to cats and other pets, they are normally worried about cleanliness. The only thing that you can do in this case is to settle their fears.

Sometimes leaving a deposit with them will do, and in other instances a good talk with them may do. Just be sure to consider the reasons why your landlord is against the pet idea, and settle all of their fears and concerns. A promise of obedience school usually does the trick with dogs. If you play your cards right, you could be the new owner of a dog or cat in the very near future.

If You Can't Adopt, You Can Volunteer and Still Make a Difference

2007-12-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

With the holiday season coming up so quickly, having the desire to have somebody to share it with can be something that many people think of. What a better companion than a dog or cat? Unfortunately, this is not always possible. Whether it is due to financial reasons, living situations, or other reasons it is not always possible to adopt a pet when you want to but there are other ways to help. Volunteering at your local animal shelter can help a dog or cat out, too!

Animal shelters are always in need of people who are willing to spend time with the animals and perform necessary tasks. Petting cats, feeding animals, and walking and exercising dogs are things that these organizations are always looking for volunteers to help them with. So you don't have a dog to walk of your own, but you can make a difference in a dog's life by spending a bit of quality time in the great outdoors with them, walking and playing.

These organizations are also in need of homes that can foster pets. If you aren't' ready to make a long term commitment to a pet, perhaps that would be a more suitable solution for you. Talk to your local animal shelter or human society shelter and see if you can volunteer to walk dogs, clean kennels, foster a pet or anything else they have a need of. What a great way to give back!

Pet Fashion: What's That About ?

2007-12-21T00:11:00.004-05:00

Many people find a mystery to pet fashion that they can't quite put their finger on. Unless you enjoy both the joys of fashion and the company of your pet, you might wonder what the buzz with pet fashion is all about. Pet Fashion Week is just as important to some pet fashion lovers and fashion designers as fashion week is to lovers of clothes design and human fashion. It's about getting into something that is enjoyable to you.

Even if pet fashion may sound like something far off and obscure to you, consider what it means to the pet world. Pet fashion can help to bring attention and awareness to issues that closely relate to members of the pet community. Pet fashion is a part of helping people go that extra mile to care for the four-legged members of their community, and get involved in something fun that they can really be part of.

Okay, so in truth not everybody is going to be able to get into pet fashion. We've seen the designer dog collars being sported and bandied about as well as those stylish pet t-shirts and trendy dog carriers too—they are not something that every pet owner will take an interest in. On the other hand, there are so many people out there who are passionate about what pet fashion has to offer. Some people even make careers out of it.

Nobody is saying that pet fashion is something that you have to get into, but it is something that any pet lover should at least try to see the other side of. At least it isn't nearly as fickle as the human fashion world can tend to be.

Your Local Shelter Has More Than Dogs and Cats

2007-12-09T22:08:00.000-05:00

If you have ever done it before, you already know that adopting a dog or a cat from your local animal shelter is one of the best things that you can do for your family. It gives you a wonderful feeling inside knowing that what you have done may potentially be the thing that has saved the life of this special animal. The best thing about the shelter as a way of adopting a dog or a cat is that it allows people like you to complete their families with animals that also needed you to complete theirs. The rewards that can come from such an adoption experience can pay you back for quite some time.

Did you know that your local shelter has more to offer than regular dogs and cats? While some shelters may have a more diverse selection of animals than others, it is true that most rescues, humane societies, and animal shelters have a great deal more to offer as far as pets go than just regular dogs and cats. Ferrets, hamsters, and guinea pigs are all animals that are found in animal shelters that people don't even think to take a look at. The same goes with iguanas, rabbits, birds, and other animals that people keep as pets other than dogs and cats. Not every shelter may have these types of small and exotic pets available, but they do come in every now and again to most, and all pets at the shelter are in need of homes.

Pet Health: Keeping Your Cats Safe During the Hectic Holiday Season

2007-12-06T23:48:00.000-05:00

The holidays can be an extremely stressful time for your dog or cat, not to mention you. Visitors coming in and out of the home, new sights and smells and things of that nature can certainly stress your dog out. And then there are other dangers to worry about as well, like poinsettias, holly, and other plants that go along with the holiday season.

It can seem like you are just asking for it when it comes to the Christmas tree. It is tough to have Christmas without a tree, but they pose such a health hazard to your pets! Especially cats, who want to climb up in and chew on everything—they are especially at risk. Combat this risk by using an artificial tree in your home instead of an authentic one. Sure, you sacrifice the real Christmas tree smell but you could be saving the life of your dog or cat. The same goes with poinsettia plants. They can be beautiful, but deadly for your pet at this time of year.

Also, be sure to supervise your pet around holly, tinsel, and wrapping paper. These pose choking hazards to your pet, so be sure to keep that in mind as well. The holidays can be a fun and beautiful time for you and your pets, if you know how to handle it and just what dangers this time of year can pose.

Watch Out For Wintertime Pet Hazards This Christmas

2007-11-27T00:04:00.000-05:00

Now that Christmas and the rest of the winter holidays are so close at hand, it is important to take a few precautions for the safety of your family and your pets. If this is the first year you have ever had a dog or cared to include your dog in your winter celebration, you might not be aware of a few key things that can help make sure that your little guy sees you through the New Year.

We all know how beastly summer can get on our dogs, but did you know that the winter time can be just as difficult? There are so many things to consider and think about all year long when it comes to the safety of our pets, but the winter and Christmas pose hazards that should be considered and many people fail to realize that.

For example, did you know that holly and mistletoe can be poisonous to dogs? Chances are that your Christmas tree salesman failed to let you know that, and what if your dog had decided to take a bite out of the Christmas decorations? He probably wouldn't know the difference between the dangerous Christmas components and the other things he chooses to tear up the other 364 days of the year.

Winter salts are also especially dangerous when it comes to the winter time. People use more and more of these winter ice melts when the Christmas holiday rolls around because they want the walkway to be safe for their guests—little do they know that these things make the walkway increasingly more unsafe for their pets. You can buy pet-friendly winter ice melts or just go through extra pains to makes sure that you let your dog out the back so they never come into contact with the dangerous melts.

As always, it's best to keep your pet in mind at all times. This is something one needs to simply put into daily practice and make it so that it becomes second nature.

Why Pet Fashion? More Pet Owners Partake Than Would Like to Admit

2007-11-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

Dog beds, dog collars, shirts and doggie bling bling. It all amounts to pet fashion. It’s one thing that a non-pet lover is never going to be able to understand. I guess you could compare it to little girls in adult-like beauty pageants—some people understand it and others think it a shameful waste of time. The good thing about pet fashion is that it is for a certain niche of pet lovers—people who have the time, energy, and finances to be able to devote to their pets have found new and adorable ways to show them off and spoil them silly. Some of the most pampered of puppies out there have a fashion conscious owner that loves to spoil them.

Even though pet fashion is not the type of thing that every dog owner subscribes to, most people have at least looked at some type of pet t-shirt, pet cape or dog sweater, or something of that nature for their pet at one point or another. Especially in the stage where they are still tiny and oh-so-cute, most pet owners are guilty of at least entertaining the thought of some cheesy pet shirt or two-pair of booties.

Pet fashion isn't for everybody, but most are guilty of it. Pets don't mind at all, especially if you start them young. The younger they are the more used to it they will be, and you would be surprised at how many pets know the difference between not wearing clothes at all and being totally chic and in-style—it's an attitude they tend to get, like they just had a fresh bath.

Dog Adoption: Make a Visit to Your Local Animal Shelter Today and Complete Your Family

2007-11-15T00:31:00.000-05:00

Think about the times that you sat back and thought about how a cat or dog or perhaps an additional dog or cat could really make a difference in your life. If you consider yourself to be a pet lover at all, chances are that you have reflected on such a thing at least once in your life and you may have even looked up pet stores and breeders in your area.

While these are all acceptable means of getting the new member of your family, there are plenty of loving and worthy animals living at your local humane society or animal shelter just waiting for you to take them home. Check on the web and browse some of the facilities in your area; you are bound to agree that these animals have a certain quality of their own that makes them the best and most grateful of pets.

Animals that your bring home from the shelter are yours forever—you are their rescuer and you are bound to feel so throughout the remaining time that you have to spend together.

Going to the shelter may be a scary and disheartening experience. There will be many pets that you wish you could take home but may be unable to, and that should show you the very reason why this is the perfect place to pick out your new friend for life. Showing support for your local shelter is the best way to show support for domestic animals in your community that need you.

Dog Health: Electrical Cords and Your Four-Legged Friend Just Don't Mix

2007-11-12T19:50:00.000-05:00

If you have ever had a puppy, chances are that you know how frustrating it can be to find your most prized possessions destroyed at the hand of their vicious little jaws. Puppies and adult dogs alike have a way of finding your most valued possessions—your most expensive shoes, your favorite jeans, that pillow for your bed you just loved. They seem to destroy the things that matter most, and electrical cords can be that last straw for some people.

Many puppy owners have been guilty of losing their temper when they found a cord chewed by their four-legged friend, but the truth is that it is yourself that you should be angry with if you have ever encountered this problem. Just as you wouldn't leave electrical cords around children, you shouldn't be leaving them around dogs or other pets, either. The right chew could send an electric shock through your dog, which can cause shutdown of vital organs and eventual death.

You don't want to have to deal with that and chances are that you want to keep your television as well, so keeping cords hidden or secured away from pets under any circumstance is usually the best idea. Your pet store probably sells plastic casing for cords to help keep your little guy safe, and there are other ways of stuffing and tucking that you can make use of as well.

Pet Health: Demodectic Mange in Pit Bull Breeds

2007-11-05T22:59:00.000-05:00

Pit bulls are one of the most popular breeds of dogs out there, and for good reason. They are loyal, they are sturdy, and they strike fear in the hearts of people on sight—making them an excellent option for people who need a dog for protection. They are easily trained to follow the commands of their owners with the right dedication and training, and they are fairly resilient to the woes of illness and the dangers that other animals propose. There is, however, a problem that pit bull breeds do have with demodectic mange.

Everybody has heard at one point or another the term 'mangy dog' or 'mangy' cat. This description has to do with a pet not having the silkiest or plushest of coats. A mangy coat usually has bald spots or a rough, unclean look but what people fail to realize is that there is a cause for this. It has nothing to do with the dog or its character, but a parasite that lives in the skin of every pet that has grown out of control. This parasite is a demodectic mite.

Demodectic mites are found in the coats of every dog, just as there are mites and other microscopic organisms on the skin of people. Demodectic mange becomes a problem when these demodectic mites reproduce out of control, causing the dog to have itchy and irritated skin. When they scratch, they remove fur from their coats and cause the spotted, mangy look.

This is a very uncomfortable condition for dogs and it can cause them to lose most or all of their fur, turning a beautiful breed of dog into an eyesore. Pit bulls are especially prone to this condition, and it can start with just a few bald spots in the dog's coat. If you think your dog may suffer from this mangy condition, don't hesitate to stop in at your vet's office and have them do a skin scrape. With the help of a microscope and a few skin cells, they can easily diagnose and treat this uncomfortable condition.

Pet Fashion: Keeping Your Dog Styling and Profiling With Designer Collars and Leashes

2007-11-02T22:18:00.000-04:00

If you get up in the morning and dress yourself fabulously from head to toe, don't you think your best friend should be equally fabulous? Of course, dogs and cats do not wear clothes in the same sense that we do; while pet t-shirts, coats, hats, and dresses are a big part of many pet's lives, the real deal is in the collars and leashes that they use.

Every dog needs a collar. They are like jewelry for dogs; they go around your dog's neck and in most cases they wear their collar all day, every day. Some dogs have several for their owners to choose from and rotate in, while other dogs only have one collar in their wardrobe.

Whether your dog only has one set or twenty designer collars and leashes to choose from, it is important to realize the big role that these things play in your pet's fashion sense. If they wear nothing else during their day they do wear their collar, and if you want them to be as fabulous as you are, perhaps a designer dog collar and leash set is the way to go.

You can choose from plain fabric dog collars and leashes to the fancy collars and leashes. Certain prints and styles can help to bring out the fashionista in any pet easily, and while designer sets do tend to cost more they are built to last as well.

When you choose a dog collar and leash set, have some fashion sense in mind. They have to wear it every day, so they might as well be as high quality as they possibly can. Find the perfect style for your dog, so they can be as glamorous as they possibly can be, whether in the house for the day or strutting their stuff down the street on their afternoon walk.

Ditch the Pet Store: Reasons to Adopt Your Next Pet

2007-10-29T22:57:00.000-04:00

Adoption is one of the best ways to complete your family. While many people find that pet stores have the perfect dog breed and the perfect dog that they are looking for, this is for a reason. Pet stores breed animals for sale, and in a world with a fast-growing overpopulation of pets this is a problem. Animal activists beg people to spay and neuter their pets to help control this overpopulation, yet there are puppy and kitty mills all over the world that specialize in breeding the perfect pets and producing them in mass quantities to be sold in pet stores all around the United States.

There are a variety of benefits to adoption that many people fail to consider when deciding how they are going to get their new pet. Your local humane society, rescue shelter, or animal shelter should have plenty of animals for you to browse through to see if they have the type of pet that you will be willing to call your own.

When you adopt from one of your local adoption centers, you do not pay to purchase a pet but they do usually require a 'donation' in order to take the pet home with you. The donation is designed to offset some of the costs in preparing the pet to go home with you, including veterinary care, kenneling, and any vaccinations or sterilizations that were made.

If you don't think you are comfortable adopting a pet who needs a good, loving home like yours rather than purchasing one from a pet store, stop in to one of the shelters and look at one of these adorable, adoptable pets and make that decision then. At that point, you will probably change your mind.

A First For Everything...A Bark Blog

2007-10-23T09:09:00.000-04:00

Well here I am, and this is my first post as a blogger of my very own blog. My aspiration with this tool will be to bring readers useful tips on everything pets...mostly Cats and Dogs. I'd like to call it the Bark Blog, not for any particular reason other than the connotation in that if perhaps I may want to bark on a topic or subject, I may want my readers to hop on the bandwagon and join me. I suppose I could call it the Bark & Meow Blog. We'll see.

I will bring personal views from my experience in the Pet Adoption part of my life, as well as health tips, pet product reviews and insight to the Pet Fashion World.

Having worked as a volunteer myself at adoption centers, I gained enough experience to then help coordinate and run a group of 50 some odd number of volunteers that worked for a not-for-profit Animal Rescue Organization in my County, of which I was responsible for. It was an invigorating experience as well as sometimes stressful.

Stress and all, at the end of the day, I understood that there was much good being done finding homes for strays that needed lots of love.

As far as my pets, they were all adopted with the exception of one cat which came about when my husband, boyfriend back then, purchased him at a local pet store. He had done this on the rebound as he witnessed one of my cats being hit by a car that evening, as I went into hysteria. So, thinking that he was doing me some good, he went out and got me my little gray kitty.

This was the only time I took possession of a pet that was bought in a pet store. Not that I have anything against that, but I would much rather prefer to see animals rescued as there are more than plenty of these poor souls seeking shelter away from the wild and from a cage.

Since that point in time, I have had at least a 10 year stretch where my 5 pets lived together within my household. I feel fortunate to have had a stretch of time whereas all my pets were alive and well for a good number of years all getting along. Naturally there have been hiccups with health related issues along the way.

To bring this up to date, 2 years ago my only dog Sugar had to have her hind leg amputated due to a Cancer while at the same time I had to put down one of my Orange Tabby's that I rescued off the street 12 years earlier. That cat by the name of Grover was quite ill and needed to be put to sleep. This March his sibling Elmo the other Orange Tabby contracted Cancer and has been on Chemo treatments since and doing quite well to date.

Unfortunately I had to put down my gray cat of 17 years just last month as he became quite ill. I am saddened by the loss of all 3 cats, my Calico passed on 6 years ago. But they brought me so much joy. I am now left with my dog Sugar who truly is as sweet as can be and getting up their in age for a mixed Shepard breed and Elmo the Orange Tabby who is also about 16.

I don't know how I'm going to handle their loss somewhere down the road, but for right now, I am enjoying their company as much as I possibly can. Now if my daughter would just stop craddling Elmo 15 x a day and kissing him, he just might be a happier kitty in his golden years.

-Lisa